Or more, could it be as many believed in other cultures that there were those, such as the village Shaman, who had altered states that allowed them to perceive things that others could not perceive but were nonetheless quite real. Such shamans were considered sacred and holy, for only they could communicate with the gods of the underworld and after-life. Shamans and medicine men and women were considered holy and as such, enjoyed a privileged status in their village.

Most shamans were also epileptic. It was believed that their epilepsy. Such stark contrast to the more Westernized notion of epilepsy that put many in mental institutions and labeled them mad and attributed their disorder to "excessive masturbation," which lead, of course, to castration and cliterodectomies Mothman takes these antiquated notions and turns them on their head. In this film, those who can perceive Mothman are the gifted among us - The Chosen, for only they can communicate with this higher power. Sure, they may die for it, but in many ways, they are also martyred, canonized.

For those interested in the real events that came to pass in Point Pleasant in 1966 and 1967 - author John Keel wrote extensively about Mothman and other unexplained anomalies that took place across the country. According to Keel, man has had a long history of interaction with the supernatural. He believes that the intervention of mysterious strangers in the lives of historic personages like Thomas Jefferson and Malcolm X provides evidence of the continuing presence of the "gods of old". The manifestation of these elder gods comes in the form of UFO's and aliens, monsters, demons, angels and even ghosts. Keel is no doubt considered eccentric and a bit "off" but he remains one of the most respected authorities concerning events that would be considered supernatural. Today he is best known for his work concerning Mothman and became the major archivist, chronicling the stories of the many 100 or more good citizens in Point Pleasant who believe they saw Mothman in various forms (including strange lights, winged creatures, sounds emitted from telephones and televisions etc. - all believed to be some attempt at communication). Keel wrote The Mothman Prophecies in 1975. For more information, check on Keel and Mothman, check out http://www.prairieghosts.com/moth.html

In a sense, then, John and Mary Klein have been warned about the car accident - the moth as omen and that is what Mothman is all about. It's not that Mothman himself is evil - he isn't. It's that he just happens to appear whenever there is going to be tragedy. It's about being aware and awake enough to recognize that perhaps there are warning sings after any great tragedy - that we look but don't see, as Hannibal Lecter has told us so many times.